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New Health Benefits Program Offers Incentive for Part-Time Employees

Program Will Lower Insurance Premiums for Thousands of Employees

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - October 29, 2007) - An innovative new benefits program means
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) part-time transportation
security officers (TSOs) throughout the country can now pay lower health
insurance premiums -- the same amount as their as their full-time
counterparts. The change will result in substantial savings and act as an
important incentive to attract and retain this critical group of employees.

Under federal law, part-time government employees pay a higher percentage
of their total health insurance premiums based on their official part-time
work schedule. With TSA's new health premium incentive program -- made
possible through flexibilities granted through the Aviation and
Transportation Security Act -- the agency will make up the difference in
premiums charged to full-time and part-time TSOs.

For TSOs like Miami's Alexander Logan, this incentive will mean a savings
of nearly $1,400 a year, or 65 percent. "It's very hard to find a part-time
job that gives employees such benefits," he said. "And this job gives me a
chance to do my part to protect the traveling public."

"Part-time TSOs are a critical component of our flexible security approach,
and this benefit allows us to retain the best and the brightest," said
Administrator Kip Hawley. "Last year we piloted the program at six airports
and the part-time TSO retention rate increased from 31 percent before the
pilot to 91 percent as of July 2007."